Life Begins at 50… A Wife’s Notes on Depression & Celiac Disease

Dear BR,
Enjoyed your email about helping the military with Guided Imagery. Having experienced a lifetime of depression, your Depression tape has been the most valuable tool I have found. With that and medication, the last 7 years of my life have been the best by far. I am 58. In my case, life began at 50!

My husband and I are enjoying a wonderful life as retirees near Hilton
Head, SC. One year ago, shortly after retirement, my husband was
diagnosed with celiac disease, an auto-immune condition where one
cannot tolerate gluten, which is in wheat, oats, barley, and rye. With
an excellent GI specialist, help from a mentor, and finding a newly
organized support group in Savannah, we are managing fine. I enjoy
cooking more now with this challenge than I ever did before when we
could both eat anything.

This disease is little known among the medical community, therefore usually misdiagnosed, and it really alters one's lifestyle since eating in restaurants becomes very difficult (especially airport restaurants!). Have you considered offering a tape for people suffering from this disease? Fortunately public awareness has increased tremendously in the last year, and the national Gluten Intolerance Group has partnered with some chain restaurants to offer gluten-free menus. However this diagnosis leaves many people devastated and feeling very lost and alone. (However in our case, due to the management of my depression, it was just another challenge which I think my husband and I have faced together in a very positive manner).

Our Savannah support group is asking members for suggestions on helping newly diagnosed people to deal with this illness. I immediately wondered if a tape might be available to help people cope with this disease.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for the tremendous impact your tape has made on my life.